SAN DIEGO, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- GridCOM Technologies, the leader in quantum cyber security solutions, has been cited by editors at Popular Science magazine as "the best evidence" that unhackable quantum encryption technology is one of the 20 ideas that will change the world. The article appears in the January 2014 issue on newsstands now.

GridCOM Technologies (www.gridcomtechnologies.com) will be the first to commercialize a scalable quantum cryptographic network, an unhackable encryption technology that can completely protect everything from top secret military communications to personal text messages against spying and cyber attack.

The company's first target is the vulnerable U.S. power grid, which by 2020 is expected to consist of some 300 million networked devices. Each is a potential entry point for malicious hackers anywhere in the world. Leading government, industry and cyber experts agree that a successful attack on the electrical grid is only a matter of time and would most likely be overwhelming. The Department of Homeland Security testified that in 2012 it had processed 68% more cyber-incidents involving Federal agencies, critical infrastructure, and other select industrial entities than in 2011, according to a recent Congressional report.

"We are entering the age of cryptography," said GridCOM co-founder Dr. Duncan Earl. "Today's methods of securing electronic communications are vulnerable to spying or cyber attack, as seen by recent threats from China and revelations about mass surveillance. But with GridCOM's unhackable encryption technology we can secure it all."

GridCOM has raised more than $1.2 million in working capital, including a recent $95,000 grant from the state of California, to support development and testing of a prototype system before the end of 2014. An early demonstration of GridCOM's unhackable encryption technology is planned for the first quarter.

"Our team is proud to have been included in such a poignant list, and we thank Popular Science editors for recognizing our work," said Earl.

How does it work?

Current computer encryption relies on predictable mathematical equations that can be solved in less time as computer power increases. GridCOM's game-changing, future-proof service is based not on math, but on quantum mechanics and the unpredictable nature of the universe – science even Einstein considered "spooky."

Using quantum entangled photons and optical fibers, a decentralized key server is created over a geographic region. Wired and wireless devices can access this quantum key server over the Internet or a private network. Due to the unique properties of quantum mechanics, the quantum entangled photons generated can detect – with 100% assurance – any attempt to manipulate the communication between devices. No hardware or special optical fibers are required at the device and no data latency is introduced by the technique, an important requirement for grid compatibility.

The disruptive technology behind quantum encryption has been under development for more than twenty years at universities and national laboratories. GridCOM will be the first to apply that technology to protect energy infrastructure.

About GridCOM Technologies, Inc.

San Diego-based GridCOM Technologies is a private company founded in 2012 to protect network-based systems from spying and cyber attack through the development and commercialization of proprietary quantum-based encryption technology. Dr. Duncan Earl, founder and CTO, is one of the world's leading quantum cryptography experts, having served with the Cyberspace Sciences and Information Intelligence Research group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for nearly two decades. Learn more at http://gridcomtechnologies.com